THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The decision of the SFI leadership to crack down on its unit at University College here after the stabbing incident is too little and too late, say students on the campus who rose in protest against the undemocratic and criminal practices of the local leadership.
The incident has also brought into sharp focus the failure of the leadership to rein in activists who are holding campuses to ransom through their criminal activities.
Akhil Chandran who was attacked being shifted the Medical College hospital. (Photo: A.V.MUZAFAR)
The anger which was simmering on the campus against goonda elements exploded on Friday giving a wake up call to the leadership. That the things were taking a turn for the worse was known acouple of months ago when a girl student attempted suicide unable to face harassment at the hands of a section of SFI activists.
However, neither the district leadership nor the state leadership took any stringent follow-up action against the student leaders who were responsible for the incident. The failure of the leadership to deal with such incidents with a heavy hand has em boldened criminal eleme nts which was evident fro m the stabbing incident. Many believe such elements have become a law unto themselves, spreadin g terror on the campuses.
A section of students says that going soft on such criminals will only weaken the SFI and alienate majority of the students from the organisation. The pent up anger against the 13 officers bea rers of the college unit was on full display on the campus on Friday with bo ys and girls openly accusing them of indulging in criminal activities.
More than embarrassment, the open rebellion of the students against unit leadership has come as a shocker for the SFI state leadership and even the CPM. More so because University College is known as the ‘red fort’ of the SFI and the students of the institution have led many a valiant struggles.
The University College incident will adversely impact SFI’s state wide campaign against communal and hardline organisations attempt to make inroads into the campuses. It may be recalled that after Abhimanyu’s gruesome murder in Maharajas college, the SFI had launched the state wide campaign against such forces.
